FALL RIVER — A jury has convicted former Westport Highway Surveyor Harold “Jack” Sisson of larceny over $250 for illegally trading a town-owned Cub Cadet riding lawn mower and its attachments to a Millbury equipment company without first putting those items through the state’s open-bidding process.

Sisson, 60, of 277 East Briggs Road, is scheduled to be sentenced Friday morning in Fall River District Court. He is looking at possible jail time, authorities said.

Jurors deliberated for about an hour before reaching their verdict Thursday afternoon. Sisson was allowed to leave the courthouse with his family and friends.

Westport Police Detective Jeff Majewski, one of the lead investigators in the case, credited the work of other police detectives and Assistant District Attorney Michael Cahillane, who prosecuted the case.

“Everybody did solid teamwork,” Majewski said. “This was a case that impacted the town of Westport, the town being the victim in this case.”

During his closing arguments Thursday, Cahillane told jurors that taxpayers have a right to transparency.

“They have a right to know people like the defendant aren’t doing back-room deals, side deals or bartering,” Cahillane said.

Authorities said Sisson conspired with former Westport Highway Department mechanic John Kennedy in October 2012 to trade in, without proper documentation, a town-owned mower and attachments to a Millbury equipment supply company that later transferred the mower to Kennedy at Sisson’s request, according to a criminal complaint.

Westport police alleged that Sisson traded the property without soliciting a proper bid, and that he later asked 146 Supply Center, the Millbury equipment supply company, to give the mower to Kennedy for free, according to court documents.

Sisson said he did not intend to do anything wrong, and added that he offered to retrieve the equipment from 146 Supply Center when police and town officials said he violated the state’s open-bidding statute. Defense attorney Emile Morad, in his closing arguments, said witness testimony during the two-day trial proved that it was not uncommon for Westport town officials to trade in or sell equipment outside of proper procedures.

“This is the way the town does business. This was nothing new,” said Morad, who argued that Sisson never benefited from the trade-in and that Sisson had tried only to benefit the town by getting rid of unused equipment.

Morad called upon current Westport Highway Surveyor Christopher Gonsalves to testify. Gonsalves described Sisson as “a great person, great man,” which prompted a quick objection from prosecutors. However, Gonsalves also said under oath that he had shared his concerns with police about the Highway Department’s procurement procedures.

In 2011, the state Inspector General’s Office released a scathing report that alleged Sisson gave away town materials, failed to follow state bidding laws and exercised poor judgement in authorizing town employees to remove boulders from a former selectman’s private property. Michael Coughlin, the former Westport town administrator, requested the inspector general's report in December 2010.

Page 2 of 2 - In August 2011, the Westport Board of Selectmen forwarded the inspector general’s report to the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office, which deferred the matter to the Westport Police Department.

The police investigation into Sisson’s case began in October 2012, when Majewski said he saw a truck — registered to 146 Supply Center — removing equipment from the Westport Highway Department at 820 Main Road. After obtaining a search warrant, police said they found the alleged stolen mower and its attachments outside Kennedy’s residence at 174 Forge Road residence in Westport.

Kennedy subsequently resigned from the Westport Highway Department. He was also charged with larceny, receiving stolen goods and conspiracy. He pleaded to sufficient facts on the charge of larceny over $250 and was placed on probation for one year, according to the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office.

According to police reports, Sisson had previously been warned about transferring town property outside proper bidding procedures. In an interview with police, Sisson said he was responsible for the unauthorized transfer, and told detectives that the town administrator had talked to him about the procurement law. However, Sisson also told police detectives that he did not like paperwork, and said, “I’m getting older,” according to police reports.

In April 2013, Westport residents voted 665-611 to change the highway surveyor’s job from an elected to an appointed position. Morad told jurors during Thursday’s closing arguments that the town’s debate over whether to change the job to an appointed position was a factor in Sisson being criminally charged and having to appear in court.

“He didn’t intend to deprive the town of any property... His clear intent was to benefit the town,” Morad said in a motion for a required finding of not guilty. Morad argued that prosecutors had “not met their burden” to warrant a conviction, but Judge Julianne Hernon denied Morad’s request.

Cahillane said Sisson “had no right whatsoever” to sell or trade town property on his own. Cahillane also said that the proper procedure would have been to offer the surplus equipment to other town departments, and then open it up to public bidding if no other department wanted the mower or its attachments.

“He doesn’t want to do that,” Cahillane said. “He wants to take care of his friend.”